United Airlines has quietly announced a long-requested feature for the seatback screens found in its new Boeing 737 Max 8 jets: Support for Bluetooth headphones and earbuds. The company announced the feature as part of a broad United Next plan to update its fleet with a better in-flight experience.

United’s new jets offer 10- or 13-inch inflight entertainment screens on the backs of all seats. In a press release, United said that, to complement these new screens, the jets will sport "the industry's fastest available" in-flight Wi-Fi. This will allow you to stream video from online services. But the standout feature here is Bluetooth, which United said will be available throughout for "easy connections between wireless headphones and the seatback entertainment screens".

United's Max 8 jets should start flying this summer. If you plan on traveling, perhaps the first time since the pandemic started, you might be inclined to choose United over other airlines simply for the fact you will be able to easily pair your AirPods or other wireless earbuds with the in-flight seatback screens.

For more about Bluetooth, see our guide. We also have a round-up of the best Bluetooth headphones here and best wireless earbuds here.